It's Either War or Peace

Zoey Cornell's Point of View

Mollee and I laughed outside of Camp Half-Blood’s gate. Finally. Another escape. It’s been a year since we escaped. During that year, Katie has been in the majority of my dreams. Well, nightmares I should say. Sometimes I even see her face when I look in the mirror. Her red eyes sent chills up my spine when they looked into my sea-green eyes. Because of that, I try not to look in the mirror too often.

“We’re finally out!” Mollee exclaimed happily.

“Shh!” I yelled. “What if she hears us?”

“Dude, cut it out, will ya?” Mollee asked. “She doesn’t know where Camp Half-Blood is. She probably doesn’t even know it’s in New York.”

“I don’t know…” I said quietly. A few nights ago I had a dream that Katie and the rest of the Chicago Coven were vacationing here in New York. Every time Katie hunted, she was closer to Camp Half-Blood.

“Camp Half-Blood? Is that what this place is?”

Mollee and I jumped. We looked behind us. Two people stood there. Once was a boy. He looked to be about thirteen. His hair was shaggy and black with light brown tips. Extremely light brown. His hair covered his dark brown eyes a little. The other was a girl around twelve years of age. Her light golden hair was long and straight. Side bangs were held down by a blue headband and they covered her left eye. Her eyes. Jeez. They were a royal blue anyone, even boys, would kill to have.

“Who are you two?” I asked.

“Son of Hades and Persephone,” the boy said. “Alec Kela.”

“Daughter of Aphrodite and Ares. I am Dakota Yendy,” the girl said.

There were four of us! Children born from two gods. Well, four of us so far. Surely there were a few more.

Suddenly, bushes began to rustle. Mollee and I were on full alert.

“What?” Alec asked.

I shh’ed him. I strained my ears to listen harder. Silence.

“ZOEY!” Grover yelled, making us jump. I didn’t see him. “SHE’S HERE! I CAN SMELL HER!”

Mollee and I stared at each other, fear in both of our eyes. Shit. She was close.

“We need to get back into camp,” I said quickly.

“You two need to come with us!” Mollee exclaimed.

“Why? There’s nothing to-” Alec started.

“You don’t understand! She haunted my nightmares and my reflection in the mirror! Be quiet! She can hear you! She can smell you too!” I explained.

“ZOEY! SHE’S GETTING CLOSER!”

Shit. “C’mon! She’s coming!” I said urgently. I couldn’t go through the pain again. I hid the tears full of memories.

“Who?!” Dakota yelled in a questioning voice.

“Me,” a voice said. Mollee and I were too late. She was already standing next to us.

She haunted my nightmares and appeared in my mirror sometimes. It’s like she became my own reflection. Now she was following me to where I lived.

Oh yeah. I guess I can’t go without properly introducing her. She was my enemy. The empousa. Katie Vereeka.

Then the tears were let out.